બેઠક Bethak

કાળ પડે ત્યારે કોદરા મોંઘા, ને તડ પડે ત્યારે રાંકાં મોંઘાં.

kāḷa paḍē tyārē kōdarā mōṁghā, nē taḍa paḍē tyārē rāṁkāṁ mōṁghāṁ.

Literally
When famine strikes, coarse grain becomes expensive; when a crisis arises, the poor become valuable.
What it means
In times of scarcity or emergency, even low-value items and humble people become indispensable.

Also said as

  • કાળા માથાનું માનવી, ચાહે તે કરે.
  • કાળી તો ખરી, પણ કામણગારી.
ગુજરાતી કહેવતસંગ્રહ (Gujarati Kahevat Sangrah) (1921) · read from the scan by machine — the Gujarati itself is unchecked · English is machine-made and nobody has checked it yet

Heard it differently, or know we've got the sense wrong? Tell us — that is exactly the kind of correction this needs.

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